Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Obituary: John Templeton

So, Sir John Templeton is dead. The billionaire Presbyterian philanthropist lived among us for 95 years before (perhaps) passing through the Pearly Gates.

Templeton made his money as a canny investor in the 1930s, but he is best known to scientists as the founder of the Templeton Foundation and its bigger-than-a-Nobel Templeton Prize. This is set at a million pounds, with Sir John's proviso that it can go up, if necessary, because it should always be more lucrative to excel at making progress "toward research or discoveries about spiritual realities" than to excel at straightforward scientific discovery.

This move hasn't won him many friends among scientists, with accusations that scientists are being tempted to publicly endorse religion, and maybe even skew their research towards something that religious people will like. But as I've said elsewhere, there is no evidence that the cash has changed anything: if that was Sir John's intention, he's been wasting his money.

What did win Templeton friends among scientists was the Foundation's willingness to fund basic science. I'm not talking about the research into the effectiveness of prayer (the less said about that, the better, perhaps), but the move to fund the Foundational Questions Institute. This is a top-flight physics research body, funded entirely by JTF, and with no religious agenda (see their FAQ if you don't believe me).

To sum up John Templeton's life, he legitimately made a lot of money then set his mind to giving a lot of it away - and always to causes he believed would better the state of humanity. His religious views were wide open: he made sure that every kind of faith had access to the foundation's grants. For all the snide things that have been said and written about him (especially by scientists and science journalists), he definitely did a lot more good than harm.

Michael Brooks, New Scientist contributorMichael Brooks was a Templeton Cambridge Journalism Fellow in 2005, during which he received a stipend from the JTF

How dare you write such things! If the author denies spiritual part of life it doesnt' mean that it not exist. Templeton was a great man. He dared to challenge problems that were too hard for scientist to explore. Nowadays, then science becomes closer to public and religion, many winners of the Fund's award are working toghether with scientists to unveil the truth. We owe much to Sir John Templeton...

I become more disturbed daily by the (to me) unnecessary "fight" between science and religion.

I went to a religious school in the 60s and 70s and they never had any of these problems teaching us. I cannot help but feel vested interests are trying to gain some sort of "control" of peoples' hearts and minds?

Science should be above childish "playground" tit-for-tat name calling and instead explain things - This is what science is supposed to be about after all - The explanation of things. If people don't want to listen, then that is their choice.

I've been reading about the problems faced in America with dismay. What is wrong with religion being taught in religion classes, while science is taught in science classes? Except there are problems with having religious classes in public schools aren't there?

I cannot go there, that is the realm of politics, something I am not qualified to comment upon.

One thing does strike me, do you think all the scientific logic and evidential proof is going to change one single Believer's opinion?

Likewise, all the scripture and religious explanations will not change one scientists mind either.

There is however room for both quite happily, if only each side was not trying to gain control of young minds in the hope of forming their adult opinions when they are young.

If science denies existance to religion, why are you surprised when it fights back? Again, likewise, if religion tries to deny science, then it too will fight back. This is how we have got to the present state it seems.

I respect John Templeton for being one of the originals who accepted both science and religion apparently equally.